Photo belongs to the Perry Elks Lodge #407

The Perry Elks Lodge recently gave a generous donation to an organization who assists veterans.

According to Public Relations Chairperson Lisa Widick, the Elks Lodge partnered with the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation and Iowa Select Farms to give $2,500 to Veterans Casting Away Disabilities. She outlines that there are a few Elks members who are with the Veterans Casting Away Disabilities program, which is a week-long fishing event for individuals with life-changing disabilities.

Widick highlights their organization was asked to provide a meal during the week of the fishing event and contacted the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation to obtain a grant to help pay for it. However, she explains that they were approved for the grant during the week-long program, and so the Veterans Casting Away Disabilities organizer found a local church in Albia to supply the meal.

Widick reveals the organization still wanted to offer a monetary donation, and after chatting with the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation, it was agreed that the grant would be for fishing equipment or whatever it may be needed for. She is grateful to the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation for giving them permission to make a positive impact for the veterans program, despite having to alter the original idea.

“The foundation is fabulous. The Perry Elks Lodge has used them for a couple of other grants and they are just so wonderful to work with. And then when I presented this to our lodge, they agreed to throw in a little extra bit of money, and then we were able to make a check presentation.”

Widick concludes that the Elks Lodge was able to present the $2,500 check at an annual fundraiser the Veterans Casting Away Disabilities program does in Iowa City during August.